Professional autonomy, education research and the QTU
Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 126 No 6, 3 September 2021, page no.12
The status and dignity of the teaching profession are enhanced when the voice of teachers is heard in the field of education research.
A new page on our website celebrates some of the contributions to research that have been made by our members and academic peers. The site, which will be regularly updated, can be accessed at https://www.qtu.asn.au/member-groups/qtu-education-researchers
Professional autonomy
The QTU has long held the view that professional autonomy in the teaching profession means trusting knowledge-making practices developed at the local level to meet the needs of teachers, school leaders, students, and their communities. Professional autonomy celebrates knowledge cultures which encourage teachers to trial alternative ways of working, engage in collegial reflection, and make professional judgements to meet the diverse needs of individuals and cohorts of students. The QTU rejects reliance on neo-managerialism and accountability frameworks that demand data production rather than knowledge production and compliance rather than the empowering of autonomy.
The QTU supports decision making processes that are research-driven, and we believe it is imperative that the voice of teachers is heard in education research.
Educational research
The QTU has a proud history of partnering with education researchers whose research establishes demonstrable links to the QTU’s values and priorities. We welcome research that makes advances in social equity, school funding, curriculum and pedagogy, teacher professionalism, education leadership, industrial matters, and a suite of other areas. The QTU also acknowledges knowledge production can be generated by diverse methodologies, including:
- action research cycles
- arts-based research and a/r/tography
- autoethnography
- case study
- collegial research arising from mentoring projects
- critical race theory
- critiques of neoliberal education policy
- curriculum criticism
- ethnography
- feminist research
- gender and gender identity
- Indigenous research
- mixed-methods research
- narrative inquiry
- online, international collaborations
- peer-to-peer reflections
- phenomenology
- qualitative research
- quantitative research
- queer theory in education policy
- reflective practice
- whiteness in education policy
- writing as method.
The QTU also welcomes collegial engagement and the dissemination of professional learning in both formal and non-academic settings, including, but not limited to, conferences, seminars, workshops, podcasts, professional blogsites, and academic publications.
QTU support
The QTU has a proud history of supporting education research that aligns with its values and that elevates the status and dignity of the teaching profession. The QTU’s Research Services section and the QTU Library can support research that adopts methodological approaches, including quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, and critical research that can collect data from large scale populations or single-n studies.
Education researchers should note that QTU support does not include recruiting research participants without prior approval of the General Secretary, and the QTU will not support recruitment that adversely impacts on teacher and school leader workload. Education researchers should be able to demonstrate that their research is endorsed by a host university human ethics committee.